The next generation

[paul damian]

With all the doom and gloom in the economy today people losing their jobs everyday, what chance do are children stand, my daughter Jessica is sitting her leaving cert this year (equivalent to A levels in uk) And unless she makes good grades, nowadays it seems only A* will do ,,It is putting our children under terrible pressure. Being a parent i cant help but worry for her future and all the young of today. Lets hope things improve .

 

[DHTiling]

Good thread Paul..

Are qualifications enough..?.. seems a lot of youngsters are not getting work even with degrees etc..

 

[Mike]

it worries me now with the price of houses, no chance of the kids getting a mortgage unless they're earning mega bucks

 

[Time's Ran Out]

It's a worry but that's what you get with kids.
I took my son from school at 16 as he wasn't trying, started him on the tools and 12 years later he can earn more than me ( he doesn't get more but he can earn more:lol. Now I'am just waiting for him to realise he would be financially better off on his own and then I can take up gardening.
The problem that I see is we should all take an earlier decision on their futures and look for the route that has the opportunities for them.
When this period of cutbacks recedes and the light shines again (as it has done many times in the last 40 years) don't take on credit and put some away for the next time.

 

[andy8758]

The last 5 years have been very expensive for us. We have given £30,0000 (shared) to our two sonsto put down the deposits on their own homes (partly by mortgaging our own home). Our daughter may need similar help soon, but for now (with her partner) they have made a significant deposit and bought their own homes. All 3 went through apprenticeships in their chosen trades, i.e. very low pay for basic NVQ skill qualifications - so we had to fund their transport needs (the insurance was between £800 and £1500 each per year). Thank good they all decided against University - that would have been another mortgage on the home. However.

We are asset rich (if somewhat cash poor) and my wife and I feel strongly that we do not have immediate needs - theirs are greater. When we die it will be theirs anyway, and by then they may not need so much, but they certainly need it now.

But not all our peers (friends and relatives of our age) do the same for their children. I guess its a matter of personal ethics and whilst we consider the children need our financial help in this day and age, it is clear that other parents dont.

 

[paul damian]

When young people take their own lifes because they see no hope , we have to ask ourselves What is going so wrong? Is it the despair in there parents faces because they cant help..